326 



THE AGKlCULTUltAL NEWb. 



October 16, 1909. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenliolme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date September 27, with 

 reference to the sales of West Indian Sea Island 

 cotton : — 



Since our last report, about 100 bales of AVest Indian 

 Sea Islands have been sold, at rather hardening rates. 



The .sales are chiefly comprised of Barbados cotton at 

 14r/. to 1(>,/. 



The Savannah iviarket ,lias opened at l-^L for the best 

 Oeorgias and 131(7. lor the best Floridas, and the market is 

 steady to firm. 



The report of Bfe.ssrs. Henry \V. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the v,-eck 

 ending September 18, is as follows: — 



There have been no receipts of new crop Sea Island 

 cotton during the week, and it may be a fortnight yet before 

 Kutticient cotton is marketed to admit of factors olfering any- 

 thing for sale. Itecent rains have retarded the harvesting 

 and delayed the movement. 



THE BREEDING OF COTTON IN THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



The breeding of types of Sea Island cotton imnuine to 

 various diseases, the securing of tyjjcs of nitrogen-gathering 

 plants to use in rotation with such kinds of cotton, and 

 improvement of the fibre of other kinds of cotton and of its 

 productivity, are among the achievements of plant breeders. 



Hybridization and seed selection in the case of existing 

 crops have been performed scientifically to produce varieties 

 to meet new conditions, to produce larger yields, to resist 

 cold, drought, and disease. With the advent of the cotton 

 boll weevil the iMceding of cottons fitted to escape weevil 

 injury, to produce longer stajile and heavier yield.s, and to 

 resist wilt, root-rot, and other diseases, was undertaken with 

 gratifying results. 



Several entirely new cotton hybrids have been 

 developed, which possess great improvement over frrmer 

 varieties. This Department's newly-bred, heavy-yielding, 

 long-staple Upland cotton, the Columbia, received a gold 

 medal at the Jamestown Exposition. 



The wilt-infested cotton soils of the South-east have 

 been outwitted by the breeder of wilt-resistant varieties of 

 both Sea Island and Upland cotton. The breeder has hastened 

 the maturing of cotton to ensure, the safety of the crop upon 

 the arrival of the boll weevil. A'arieties of Cluatemala cottons 



have been introduced and acclimatized because they have 

 characteristics that enable them to resist the boll weevil. 



The United states imports about §15,000,0C0 worth of 

 Egyptian cotton annually for the manufacture of special 

 fabrics. The growing, grading and handling of this crop 

 have been so perfected that the product is exceedingly 

 uniform, and the fibre being of a very high qtiality, fancy 

 jn-ices are always received for it. 



For a number of years the Department has been 

 endeavouring to establish this crop in the United States. 

 Several years ago, some work was undertaken in the South- 

 west, notably at Yuma, in cooperation with the lieclamation 

 Service, on one of their projects. This work has already 

 progressed sufficiently to warrant us in saying that there 

 is great promise - of establishing an important cotton 

 industry in the region mentioned. 



During the past year, a total of about 40 acres was 

 planted in Egyptian cotton at various localities in South 

 Arizona, seed of the acclimatized strain that has been grown 

 for si.x years in the South-west being used. The indicaticjns 

 point to an averagti yield of ] to U- bales per acre wherever 

 the i)lanting was done in good season and the cotton received 

 rea.sonable care. A good commercial fibre was obtained, 

 satisfactory in strength and fineness, but not in the matter 

 of length and colour. 



It is planned to sell the product at the highest price 

 obtainable, in order to ascertain approximately what profit 

 can reasonably be expected by growers of Egyptian cotton 

 in the South-west. The marked interest in" these experi- 

 ments evinced by a number of American manufacturers of 

 Egyptian cotton makes it reasonable to expect that the 

 Arizona-grown fibre can be marketed advantageously. 



The jieculiar climatic and soil conditions in this region 

 have developed a number of unexpected problems, which will 

 necessitate careful laboratoi-y and field work for settlement. 

 It is found, for example, that, for reasons not yet fully 

 explained, cottons hybridize nattirally. In view of the fact ' 

 that one of the essentials in establishing this industry is the 

 securing of a uniform product, there is some careful work 

 ahead in the matter iif determining the cau.ses of the variations 

 noted, and fixing by practical methods the types which the 

 market demands, and for which it is ready to pav the highest 

 Jirice. {Ynirlmolc, 1908, of the United States " Dopartnicnt 

 of Agriculture.) 



Export of Cotton from Antigua —The amount 



of cotton exjiortcd friiui Antigua dm iiig the quarter endiu"- 

 September 30 was 32 bales, weighing 7.100 11)., and of an 

 estimated value of £384 1 1.<. Sr/. This was all Sea Island 

 cotton, and was sent In the fnitcd Kingdom. 



